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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · deal · wind · content · degree · spell · stand · bass

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. content — happy
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. deal — to handle
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spell — letters
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wind — moving air
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. degree — temperature
  24. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com